My images combine an early love of drawing and painting with a long-standing passion for photographing the landscape. An important part of my portfolio continues to be about the interaction between water and light in, but I’m also experimenting with movement on land and even my own progress on foot through the landscape.
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Many dream of turning their passion for photography into a profession. Orsolya has done just that and has now been working together with her husband, Erlend Haarberg, as a freelance nature photographer for over 10 years, specialising in the landscapes and nature of the Nordic countries. The Haarbergs are the authors of three books: Lapland – the Alaska of Europe; Iceland – land of contrasts; and Iceland in all its splendour. Their work has been published in a number of magazines and they have completed several assignments for National Geographic Magazine. They spend a lot of time in the field, but things have finally fallen right for us to ask Orsolya to tell us more about their photography.

Would you like to start by telling us a little about landscape and nature photography in Norway, and current themes?

Just like everywhere else, the nature photography scene has changed rapidly in Norway too, as sales via photo agencies dropped in the last decade. Most nature photographers have been forced to adapt their skill profile: beginning to take on commercial assignments, establishing a magazine, opening a gallery or like most, starting to do workshops. While these activities take a lot of time and creative energy from professionals, there are photographers who present unique, single images and amazing projects, doing this work mainly as a part-time occupation or hobby.

Can you tell me a little about your background – your education, early interests and career?

I grew up in a small village by the Danube in South-Hungary. I lived in Budapest for five years, studying landscape architecture, but never practised this profession because I became too busy with WWF Hungary's beaver reintroduction programme during my years at the University. As soon as I graduated, I moved to Sopron and became immersed in research work on wildlife management (with a focus on beavers). I was just about to write my Ph.D. thesis when I met my husband, Erlend, during a eight months research scholarship in Norway. This happened 12 years ago. At that time, I was an amateur photographer, and I decided to turn photography into a profession without much hesitation. I dropped my Ph.D. studies, moved from Hungary to Norway, and have been working as a freelance nature photographer ever since.

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